The Rebirth of the Cool
by Greg Richburg

Miles Davis releases the Birth of the Cool album in 1949. With the brilliance of sounds like “Venus De Milo” and “Boplicity”, Davis punctuated an era that brought forth from the grave an excellence and Cool like no Jazz or music genre has ever done. Post war feelings undoubtedly pressed strain on the minds of the day’s youth and the eclectic flow from the brass offered a sought out release which transpired into a needed turning cheek.

The people yearned direction, leapt for a place to go. Cool was the way. As the new form of beauty featured innovative arrangements strongly inspired by classical music, Birth of the Cool marked a major development in post-bebop jazz.

Much in the same way the techie era is transforming, the separatists and hell raising crap that junks up the wire-ways, pollutes the WWW, and miss-configures the minds of the adolescent, we now stand or sit here and wonder where to go on the globally integrated ether-world we call the Internet.

Someone call security, get me a taxi I need to get home safely…

There is more spyware ad crap espionage and junk sites out there then good it seems. Well now, there is a system on the rise which offers a reform, offers a sanctuary, and somewhat of a safe place no matter what you are looking for. The rise of the Social Network, the Re-Birth of the Cool is here and in full form. So kick back and relax, there is a place for you to go and be with your own, whoever that may be.

What is a Social Network?

On the Internet, social network services focus on the building and verifying of online groups of people who share similar interests, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. This idea is in now way new; social networks have been around since the beginning of rational thought, in a sociological sense.

Yet as technology advances, the evolution of software based systems has reached a level of proficiency that can now provide a collection of various ways for users to interact, such as chat, messaging, email, video, voice chat, file sharing, blogging, discussion groups, and so on, which in turn offer a very cool social communication environment.

We all know Myspace, an adolescent hangout, it really doesn’t offer much but a bit of entertainment, and some marketing ability if you can harness its power. Other large scale networks include the likes of Yahoo 360, Facebook and Bebo. Although it is the smaller entities that offer a more focused emphasis and meaningful gathering.

I communicate on a global level in several industry specific networks like Webmaster-Forums.com and SEO-Talk.com. Here I communicate directly in a forum based environment with people only interested in my field of expertise.

Here locally there is a new social network for graphic designers here in the valley called LocalDesign.us. The system not only offers group discussions, but also portfolio creation, video sharing, photo galleries, chat, and a very cool job board. In its infancy now, LocalDesign.us could server as an excellent means for people interested in its primary focus, graphic design and web design.

Now take for instance locally owned Adicted.com. Developed as an addiction treatment referral service, Addicted.com now provides many other features including online forums, blogging, personal profiling and professional advice through its social networking infrastructure. CEO John Shegerian (Electronic Recyclers, Inc.) seems to have hit the nail on the head again with this wonderfully free communication system and information gateway.

With focus oriented social networks online, we learn and communicate on a much more intimate level in groups that close in tight on the peer perspective and emphasis. There are numerous topic oriented web based social networks popping up around the valley, state or globe and many of them offer just the right level of interaction we need.

So sit back in the club and relax, enjoy the Cool sounds flowing through and even jump in like a jam session and participate in this fast growing system that is a sure fire way to suit you in one way or another.

I fortunately had the pleasure of catching Miles Davis at the Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara a bit prior to his death in ’91. As I sat there sipping on a flask of JD so carefully smuggled into that dark theatre, I had no idea where I was headed, but the trumpet sitting back at my college apartment only dreamt of being so Cool, and the Internet was nothing but an pre-infant thought at the time.

Take care now.
Greg Richburg is the owner and operator of Netricks, Inc. a Fresno California Web Design Company. Greg also runs the Fresno California Entertainment News Portal Valley411, an international modeling agency, Moda Star Models and a web based Swimwear and clothing company, Bella Chica Clothing. Find more article written by Greg Richburg at Netricks.com.